Heating and cooling systems and devices are used in many contexts. For example, electronic components, such as computing components including processor circuit boards and the like, generate heat. In some instances, too much heat can result in a drop in performance or damage to the component or to other nearby components that are sensitive to heat. In such instances, the heat generating components can be kept cool by cooling devices and systems operating in various manners.
Additionally, in some situations, components can be located within a housing. Various devices and systems use sealed and unseal housings for protecting the contents of the housing. Unsealed housings can provide for some protection from materials such as gases, fluids, dust, and debris, but since they are unsealed, the contents of the housing can still be exposed to such materials.
A sealed housing can be used to reduce the exposure of the components to the elements. However, when sealed enclosures (and unsealed enclosures, to some extent) are used to house heat generating components, the enclosure has a tendency to magnify the temperature of the components therein and the ambient air or other materials surrounding the components.
Cooling devices and systems that are often used to reduce the temperature of components typically are unitary devices that could either be positioned within the housing or outside the housing. Each of these positions has some drawbacks. For example, if the cooling device is located inside the housing, the device will use heated air from within the housing to attempt to cool the components within the housing. This is generally ineffective since, removal of heat from within the housing can only be achieved through heat transfer through the walls of the housing.
When the device is outside the housing, the device can take advantage of potentially cooler air outside the housing, but the device is isolated from the component by the housing walls. Therefore, in such instances, the device cannot directly cool the component.